Switch apparatus.



W. H. WHEAT.

SWITCH APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 11` 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

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W. H. WHEAT.

SWITCH APPARATUS.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNI: 11, 1909.

Patented May 3, 1910.

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WILLIAM H. WHEAT, OF NEWNAN, GEORGIA.

SWITCH APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 3, 1910.

Application filed June 11, 1909. Serial No. 501,521.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WHEAT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newnan, in the county of Coweta and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Switch Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic operating mechanism for opening and closing switches of electric and other railways, the object of the invention being to provide an improved mechanism of this kind including a car-carried tappet element which may be disposed in operative position by the foot of the motorman and caused to automatically open or close a switch as the car proceeds and without the necessity of stopping` the car, the said invention consisting in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a track provided with switch operating mechanism embodying my invention, parts of the apparatus being shown in sect-ion. Fig. 2 is a vert-ical longitudinal sectional view of the same on planes intersecting the guide or slot rail and also intersecting the subterranean pipes through which the switch operating rods extend. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same and also of a portion of a car and showing the vertically movable car-carried tappet element controlled by the motorman. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of the tappet element. Fig. 5 is a detail transverse sectional view of the slot rail or guide element and also of one of the switch operating rods and pipe through which it extends.

The tracks 1, 2 which are disposed in intersecting relation are respectively provided at their points of intersection with movable switch points 3, 4. The said switch points are connected by a rod 5 the ends of which are pivotally connected thereto as indicated at 6. In a box or casing 7, which is preferably partially buried in the earth and as shown is provided with a detachable cover 8, are disposed a pair of oppositely related bell cranks 9, 10 said bell cranks being here shown as pivotally mounted as at 11 on blocks 12 which rise from the bottom of said box or casing. The said bell cranks are provided with overlapping oppositely extending arms 13, 141 respectively which arms are longitudinally slotted as at 15 and the said arms of the said bell cranks are connected to the rod 5 by a bolt or pin 16 which passes through and operates in the slots of said arms.

At a suitable distance from the switch and disposed longitudinally of the track 1 and midway between the rails thereof is a guideelement which is here shown as a slot rail 17 the slot 18 thereof extending from end to end of said slot rail and being widened as at 19 at the entrance. In line and also transversely with reference to the slotrail are boxes or casings 20, 21 which are at suitable distances from the ends of said slot rail and each of which is here shown as having a removable cover 22 provided with a longitudinal slot 23 which is coincident with the slot of the slot rail. The said boxes or casings are respectively provided with bearings for the ends of switch operating shafts 24;, 25. The shaft 211 has cranks 26, 27 which are at right angles to each other. The shaft 25 has cranks 28, 29 which are at right angles to each other. The cranks 27, 29 are in line with the slot of the slot or guide rail. A subterranean pipe 30 connects the boxes or casings 20, 21, a similar but larger pipe 31a connects the boxes or casings 21, 11, an operating rod 32 connects the bell carnk 9 to the crank 26 of the shaft 211 and extends through the pipes 30, 31, through the boxes or casing 21 and also partially through the boxes or casings 11, 20. In the bottom of the slot of the slot rail, at a point between the boxes or casings 20, 21, is a cam 33. A cam 34 is at the end of the slot rail between the boxes or casings 11, 21..

The said cams are here shown as secured by bolts 35 which extend through the side members constituting the slot rail and hence the said cams may be renewed readily when they become worn. The cranks of the crank shafts which engage the operating rods are movable in vertical slots 36 in upturned ends of said operating rods as shown in Fig. 2.

The car, a portion of the platform of which is indicated at 37 in Fig. 3, is provided on its under side with a vertical cylinder 3S and also with a hanger 39. A vertically removable tappet rod 410 operates in openings in the hanger the bottom of the cylinder and the car platform and is provided at its upper end with a foot piece 41' on which the motorman may place his foot. In the lower portion of the cylinder is a coiled eXtensile spring 42 the upper end of which bears against a stop 43 with which the rod is provided, the action on the said spring being normally to elevate the said rod as will be understood. The lower end of said rod as here shown is provided with a fork 44 between the arms of which is disposed a tappet Wheel 45 the axle 46 of which has its bearings in the arms of the said fork and on the ends of the said axle are rollers 47 which are smaller than the tappet wheel 45 and when the tappet rod 40 is depressed against the tension of the spring 42 bear on the upper side of the slot rail and limit the downward movement of said tappet rod and dispose the tappct wheel 45 at the required elevation to cause the same to successively engage the cranks 27, 29 of the switch operating shafts.

Assuming that a car is moving in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. l and that the switch points 3 and 4 are in the position shown in full lines, the crank 27 of the shaft 24 will be in a vertical position and the crank 29 of the shaft 25 will be inhorizontal, depressed position. The motorman having depressed the tappet in the manner hereinbefore described the tappet wheel moves through the slot in the slot rail past the crank 27 and in doing` so turns said crank to a horizontal position thereby causing the crank 26 of the same shaft to actuate the rod 32 and cause said rod, through the instrumentality of the bell crank 9, to move the switch points to the dotted line position indicated in said figure thus disposing the switch points in the required position to cause the car to pass to the track 2 and as the tappet wheel passes over the cam 33 after having thus set the switch points said cam moves the tappet rod upwardly and the motorman removes his foot therefrom so as to leave the switch points thus set.

Vhen the switch points are set for the track 2 the crank 29 of the shaft 25 is in vertical position. If a car on the track l, traveling in the direction of the arrow, is to proceed on such track, the motorman will depress the tappet element and cause the same by engagement with the said crank 29 to set the switch points for said track, as will be understood. The cams 34, 35 by moving the tappet element upwardly, notify the motorman to remove his foot from the tappet element after the switch has been operated.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is l. In combination with switch points, oppositely disposed bell cranks connected thereto, a guide element, switch operating shafts each having a crank element connected to one of the bell cranks and having an operating member movable into and out of line with the guide element, and a car-carried tappet movable into and out of operative relation to the guide element to engage and operate either or both of the said operating members of the said shafts.

2. In combination with switchl points and operating means therefor including crank elements disposed at a distance apart, a guide slot` rail the guide slot ofwhich is in line with said crank elements, cams with which said guide slot rail is provided and a car-carried vertically removable tappet having an element to actuate the said crank members, the said cams operating to move said tappet element upwardly as the same passes said cams.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLE H. VVHE AT.

lVitnesses P. G. STANLEY, GARLAND'M. JONES. 

